We have reported one inbred whose tillers are taller than the main stem (MNL 67:108-109, 1993). Tillers of inbreds and hybrids are generally shorter than the main stem. Most inbreds and hybrids which were developed by the authors for high performing tillering maizes have short tillers compared with the main stem height at maturity. The short tiller heights may be partly responsible for poor ear set of tillers. In a series of developing tillering inbreds, we found one inbred with tillers taller than the main stem as shown in Table 1. The first and second tiller heights of IK4 inbred were taller than the main stem. However, tiller heights of IK1 inbred were shorter than the main stem without exception. Ear heights of tillers were higher than the ear height of the main stem in both inbreds.

Table 1. Main stem and tiller heights and ear height of IK4 and IK1 at maturity, cm.
 

	IK4		IK1
Characters	Plant Ht.	Ear ht.	Plant ht.	Ear ht.
Main stem	176.0±9.4*	74.2±5.6	180.0±7.6	83±5.4
1st tiller	198.5±14.5	87.8±6.4	151.7±18.5	116±7.8
2nd tiller	182.0±14.4	85.6±5.5	85.0±20.0	112±10.3
3rd tiller	115.5±19.2	61.8±4.1	--	--

*standard error

 Table 2. Main stem and tiller height of F1 hybrids between IK4 and four tillering inbred lines, cm.
 

Characters	IK4 /IK1CI66	IK4/PI213749	IK4 /IK1FR3019	IK4/IK1US	P3160* *
Main stem	283.0±4.9*	247.7±9.6	227.0±9.5	233.5±4.6	275±8.5
1st tiller	281.7±6.0	253.7±7.2	234.0±6.0	258.0±8.8	--
2nd tiller	221.7±10.7	244.3±6.7	218.3±11.7	251.4±12.4	--
3rd tiller	--	--	--	169.7±16.4	--

*standard error
**check hybrid with no-tillers

Tillering habits of IK4 were well manifested in some of the hybrid combinations (Table 2). Hybrids between IK4 and other tillering inbreds showed almost equal tiller heights to main stem height. The first and second tillers of hybrids between IK4 and IK1US showed much higher tiller heights than the main stem. 

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